Seal.



J. P. MITCHELL.

SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1011.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

w 4 My W Witnesses COLUMIHA ILANOCIRANI 60.. WASHINGTON. n. L

JOHN F. MITCHELL, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

fl *atented Dec. 23, 15913.

Application filed September 18. 1911. Serial No. 649,792.

To all whom it may concern:

ie it known that 1, JOHN F. MrrcnnLL, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- peka, in the county of Shawuet and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Imprm'ements in Seals, of which the following a specification.

My invention relates to such seals as are used for sealing railroad cars, cases, and the like.

It is the object of my invention to provide a seal for the purposes stated that is positively incapable of use over again, that cannot be easily imitated, that cannot be removed without breaking it so that it is incapable of repair and reconstruction, and that is economical in manufacture, easily handled and applied, and easily removed in proper 'ases.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification and in the description of the drmvings, I have shown my invention in its preferred form and what I deem to be the best mode of applying the principles thereof; but it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, I contemplate changes in form, proportions, and materials, the transposition of parts, and the substitution of equivalent members, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete seal made in accordance with the principles of my invention, the parts being interlocked. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on a line indicated approximately by the line 22 in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is a side view of the detached stem and locking spring. Fig. 4: is a sec tional View of a stem and locking spring, the former being of slightly modified form Similar reference characters indicate simi lar parts throughout the several views.

6 is a stem having an enlarged head which preferably consists of two oppositely extending arms 7, 7. The end opposite the head is reduced, as shown at 8, and has a slot 9 in the reduced portion. Through the slot is inserted a spring 10, whose free ends 11, 11 embrace opposite sides respectively of the reduced portion of the stem and extend upwardly, that is, toward the head, and at an angle outwardly from the reduced portion.

12 is a locking body having therein a chamber 13 and a hole 14 leading into said chamber, said chamber being forn'led with shoulders 15, i

The parts are so formed that the may be interlocked by inserting the reduced portion of the stem with the spring thereon through the hole and into the chamber so that the free ends of the spring bear against the chamber shoulders, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The quality of the material of which the stem is made is important. It is made of material that is brittle and frangible,-that cannot be bent without breaking. The ma terial must be strong enough so that the stem can be used on railroad cars, cases, and other places without breaking in the ordinary handling and trallic, and yet be weak enough to permit of breaking when it is proper to do so. Thus, it can be first punched from sheet steel, then heated, and then quickly cooled, so as to produce the quality of brittleness and :trangibility.

The stem is formed with shoulders 16, 16 at the point of reduction, which shoulders are adapted to bear against the locking body when the parts are interlocked, as a safeguard against n'lanipulation of the seal spring. Also the stem is formed with weak ening notches 17, 17 at the point of reduction. These notches make the stem readily breakable at the point of reduction; and when the seal is so broken, the reduced portion left irremovably within the locking body. As a further precaution against wrongful manipulation of the seal, there are weakening notches 18, '18 where the arms comprising the head join the stem proper. The quality of the stem and these weakening notches safeguard against wrongful manipulation because almost any attempt to open or pick the lock will result in breaking the seal; and, once broken, the seal is destroyed, so that it cannot be patched together again so as to pass even casual inspection. In Fig. 1 I have shown substantially the same arrangement, except that recesses 19, 19 are provided into which the spring ends may be forced when inserting the reduced portion into the locking body, a narrower hole being thereby possible.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. In a seal of the kind described, the combination of a flat stem of brittle and frangible metal having oppositely extending arms at one end, being reduced at its other end and provided with shoulders at the juncture of the stem portion proper and said arms and at said point of reduction at the end, and said stem having a slot in its reduced end; and a spring extending through the slot *ith its ends extending upwardly and at an angle outwardly from the reduced portion of the stem.

2. The combination of a thin fiat stem of brittle and frangible metal of substantially uniform thickness throughout its area and having at one end a head and at its other end a reduced portion with shoulders at the point of reduction and having a slot in its reduced portion; a spring extending through said slot, its free ends extending from said slot upwardly along opposite sides of the reduced portion and extending at an angle outwardly therefrom; and a 20 locking body having a chamber therein with shoulders and a hole leading into said chamber; said chamber, hole, and lastnamed shoulders being formed for the reception of said reduced end and spring with 5 JOHN F. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

C. J. RosnN, J. M. STARK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

